So the Old Testament prophets declared with respect to death: "Then shall the dust [meaning our mortal bodies] return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7.)

Of course the only way we could return to God when we die would be that we lived with him before we where born.

We are the Spiritual Offspring of God. He is the Father of our Spirits. We are his Spirit Children. We lived with him in what could be referred to as the pre-existance which was the life before our earth life. After we die, our bodies will be laid in the grave of what ever here on this earth and our Spirits will return to God who gave it.

As my original post said,

So the Old Testament prophets declared with respect to death: "Then shall the dust [meaning our mortal bodies] return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7.)

Of course the only way we could return to God when we die would be that we lived with him before we where born.

This answers the question, Where did I come from. A couple other questions that should concern all of us is, Why are we here, and Where are we going after we die?

To quote Matthew Henry commentary:
Man is a strange sort of creature, a ray of heaven united to a clod of earth; at death these are seperated...The soul, that beam of light, returns to that God who, when he made man of the dust of the ground, breathed into him the breath of life, to make him a living soul (Gen 2:7) and forms the spirit of every man within him...It goes to God as a Judge, to give account of itself, and to be lodged either with the spirits in prison (1Peter 3:19) or with the spirits in paradise (Luke 23:43) according to what was done in the body.

The scripture that Swing has referenced does not state that we pre-existed, it is just the way that the Mormons twist scripture to conform to their heretical doctrines. In order to understand where Swing is coming from...you need to understand the "complete" Mormon doctrine regarding this. They believe that their god (who is just one of many gods) is in heaven with his eternal bride and many concubines having sex and making babies. These babies are their "spirit children" who must come to earth in the form of a mortal in order to complete their exaltation to godhood themselves. It is all part of their doctrine that "as man is...god once was, and as god is...man may become". By the way...Mormons also believe that their god's higher, more evolved or somehow advanced spirit children are born to Mormon families here on earth.

We were created, at the moment of conception, and became eternal beings at that time when God breathed His spirit into us. While our mortal bodies will decay and return to the earth, our spirit will return to God, not to resume some heavenly pre-earth existence, but to be judged. Where we spend our eternity will be completely by choice, in heaven with God or eternally damned to a place created originally for Satan...hell. Because God states that He for-knew us does not mean that we pre-existed, only that God is all-knowing. We exist within the framework of time, but God being outside of time, knows each and everyone of His children and also knows who will choose eternal life with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, and who will reject Him. I pray that you are one to choose Jesus!

Excellent post, thanks. I do not address swing71 directly because past experience has taught me it's a complete waste of time. The same loaded questions are posted repeatedly, as if nothing had ever been said about them.

I posted some Mormonism articles above just for anyone who isn't familiar with Mormon heresy, in case they didn't look back at previous threads.

I understand all too well the futility of trying to reason with Mormons. The reason for this is because they are literally brain washed. They no longer think for themselves, only regurgitate the lies and deceptions spoon fed to them their entire lives. Many know the truth and will not receive it for themselves, many, many, however, have never heard some of their own doctrines held by the church. There is a progressive level at which you receive information about what they really believe, and a large percentage of the membership is totally in the dark. I will gladly respond to all of Swings posts...not to try to debate with someone who is closed to really considering the information presented, but rather to provide the un-informed a better and more accurate picture of this religion.

That is an excellant scripture that talks about one of the noble and great ones who was foreordained in the premortal spirit world to be a prophet here on the earth. Here are some more scriptures that speak of the state of all men before this life.

Num. 16: 22 (Num. 27: 16) God of the spirits of all flesh.
Job 38: 7 all the sons of God shouted for joy.
Eccl. 12: 7 the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Jer. 1: 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.
Zech. 12: 1 Lord . . . formeth the spirit of man within him.
John 9: 2 who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind.
Acts 17: 28 poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Rom. 8: 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate.
Eph. 1: 4 chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.
Heb. 12: 9 subjection unto the Father of spirits.
Jude 1: 6 angels which kept not their first estate.
Rev. 12: 7 Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.

Num. 16: 22 God of the spirits of all flesh.
Deut. 14: 1 Ye are the children of the Lord your God.
Job 32: 8 there is a spirit in man.
Job 33: 4 breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Ps. 82: 6 Ye are gods . . . children of the most High.
Eccl. 12: 7 the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Isa. 42: 5 he that giveth breath . . . and spirit to them that walk.
Hosea 1: 10 Ye are the sons of the living God.
Mal. 2: 10 Have we not all one father.
Matt. 5: 48 (3 Ne. 12: 40) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father.
Matt. 6: 9 (3 Ne. 13: 9) Our Father which art in heaven.
Acts 17: 29 we are the offspring of God.
Rom. 8: 16 Spirit itself beareth witness . . . we are the children of God.
Eph. 4: 6 One God and Father of all.
Heb. 12: 9 be in subjection unto the Father of spirits.